Kevin Durant’s long-running signature line has been a staple of Nike’s basketball division since 2008, and the most recent model—the streamlined KD 16—is on our list of the greatest basketball shoes of 2023.
While succeeding editions of the sneaker have maintained a high level, most fans think that the KD line peaked with the KD 4, a fourth-generation sneaker with Zoom Air cushioning and a Hyperfuse upper that was released in 2011. The KD 4 remains a mainstay of both basketball courts and streetwear wardrobes, and Nike has finally acknowledged its ongoing popularity by releasing some very nice and much-appreciated throwback versions.
The “Galaxy” edition of the KD 4 was originally made available during All Star Weekend 2012, which was hosted in Orlando. The shoe’s galactic style was inspired by the city’s renowned Kennedy Space Center, which was also featured on a number of other high-profile Nike Basketball products at the time, including the Nike LeBron 9 “Big Bang” and the massively famous “Galaxy” Foamposite.
The NASA patch on the KD 4’s tongue and the speckled white on black heel truly bring home the homage, which is admittedly less Interstellar and more primary school space-themed photo day backdrop. We take that as a huge compliment—this sneaker was fantastic when it originally came out in 2012, and it’s still as out of this planet more than a decade later.
